Zero Visibilty
by Senpaiidude
Summary: All Tenten ever wanted to be was invisible. Overlooked. She never wanted to be noticed. Until her 3rd year at The Leaf Boarding School starts, and then she meets Neji, a popular boy who will bring her from the shadows. NejiTen. Please R&R. No own naruto
1. Neji Hyuuga

Ino bit her lip. Another new school, another set of boys to love, another set of social problems to face. The Leaf Boarding School. Her luggage lay in a huge pile beside her.

A speaker phone announcement said, "Will all girls please stop swarming, we are afraid of injury, Sasuke has just returned."

Ino cringed. Was fan girls such a problem here? She switched her weight from one foot to another.

"I'm supposed to have two girls come and show me around." She muttered to herself.

* * *

"Tenten we're late."

"I know I know Sakura, get off my back, I'm trying to fix my hood."

"Don't worry about that, come with me! We have to show the new girl around!"

"Ow! Don't pull on my ear that hard."

* * *

Ino smiled as she saw two girls coming from the school doors and stepping out the gate. One had cherry blossom pink hair and the other had….brown? She was wearing a dark green sweat shirt with the hood up and dark green long pants. All was baggy.

The cherry blossom haired girl smiled. "Inu right?"

"Ino." Ino corrected.

The girl stared down at a clip board. "Oh that's an 'o'!" She said smiling. "Sorry, a little dyslexic."

Ino nodded.

"I'm Sakura Haruno and this is…" She held up her hand and looked at her partner, she wore a black beanie under the dark green hood that nearly covered her eyes. She didn't even move.

"Tenten." Sakura finished. "Don't ask her to read something because she's really dyslexic." Sakura smiled as if it weren't a disadvantage.

"Sakura, Tenten." Ino said. "Mind showing me around?" Sakura smiled again.

"Yeah, oh sorry. I guess we should." She smiled. "This way."

Ino looked at Tenten, expecting her to talk. Tenten only smiled. "This is The Leaf Boarding School, grades 8 through 12."

"What grade are you two in?" Ino asked.

"Tenth." Sakura said. Tenten nodded. "Eleventh." She said.

Ino raised her eyebrows. "I'm in tenth grade."

"Good, good." Tenten said. "Now, this is the main hallway," She opened the door and let the other two in.

Ino looked at a sign. AUDITION FOR TALK SHOW HOST, BROWN HAIR BROWN EYES PREFERRABLY.

"Hey Tenten!" Ino called. "You should audition for the talk show thing.

Sakura stifled a laugh.

"What?" Ino asked.

Tenten stopped walking. "I don't do auditions or anything where more than 2 people would be looking at me."

"Two?"

"You and Sakura, those are the only people I talk to, only people I express myself in front of. I would rather remain invisible to everyone else." Tenten replied.

Ino jumped back. "You mean, you don't want to do anything where people are looking at you?"

"Yep."

"Are you shy?"

Sakura stifled another laugh.

"Far from it." Tenten replied

"Then what?" Ino aked.

Tenten shrugged. "I just don't like being paid attention to. I've noticed that life goes a lot easier when you're always overlooked."

There was something off about this Tenten girl. She was awesome, but not wanting to be heard and seen by the world was just…weird.

Sakura stopped. "We should take a different hall." She said. She suddenly grabbed Tenten and Ino and pulled them into a branch hall. Ino was amazed at how big and modern the school was.

"W-what? What is it?" Ino asked, trying to divert back to the main hall.

Sakura lead her to the edge and pointed at a huge swarm of girls. "Second most popular guy in school, smartest too, the only girl in our group old enough to date him is Tenten."

"Like I ever would."

"Who?"

"Neji Hyuuga.


	2. Ice Cream and Lab Partners

"Breakfast seems better this year." Sakura said. She ate a piece of scrambled egg.

"How long has Tenten been here?" Ino asked.

"Since she was old enough to…8th grade." Sakura replied.

Ino nodded. She already loved hanging out with her 2 other roomies. Dorms were 3 to a room, with a bunk bed and a small twin bed, a mini fridge, a huge dresser and some other things like a desk and a mirror.

"Tenten what are you doing over there?" Ino asked. She and Sakura were sitting on the top bunk, eating cafeteria breakfast. Tenten was sifting through the mini fridge.

"Trying to find a place to put this," She replied. "I already ate."

Ino stared at the humongously stuffed fridge. It probably had 3 times the amount of food that it normally would have allowed.

"How did you accumulate so much food?" Ino asked. "It's the first day of school right?"

"Sakura and I have been roomies since she was in the 8th and I was in the 9th. This year is out 3 year. This summer we each spent 4 weeks at home at the beginning of the summer and then just came back and hung out here for the rest."

Sakura nodded. "We don't spend much time home really."

Ino nodded. She liked the fact that already they were acting kindly towards her. She didn't want to be an outcast.

"Sakura…I found Cherry Toad." Tenten said.

Sakura nearly fell off of Ino's top bunk. "What?!" She nearly screamed. The room was well lit. It was bright and the bed spreads were colorful and there was Tenten's art hanging on the wall, so when Sakura saw the pink colored thing in Tenten's hand, she nearly lost it.

Tenten held up the Cherry Pink little toad. "It was in the back of the fridge."

Sakura grabbed it. "How did it get back there?!"

Tenten shrugged. "Don't ask me, I just found it." She said.

"Oh Cherry Toad!!!" Sakura yelled. Tenten jumped up and covered her mouth.

"It's 4 A.M. in the morning, if people hear you screaming we'll get a dorm notice." She whispered harshly.

Sakura nodded. They often got up extremely early in the morning so they could have a bit of free time before school.

Ino smiled.

Tenten lay down. "I'm going back to sleep." She said. "I don't feel like being up this early today, remember school starts at 8."

Sakura nodded and hugged Cherry Toad.

Everyone fell back asleep sooner or later.

They all lay snoring on their beds. Tenten lifted up her hand and smashed her alarm clock. She looked at it before it broke. 9:30

"What the FCK!!!!" She yelled. "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

The yell awoke Sakura and Ino.

"What?!" They cried.

"It's fcking 9:30!!!!We are an hour and a half late on the first fcking day of school!!!!!" Tenten yelled.

"What?! NOOOOOOO!!!!" Sakura and Ino yelled they scrambled to the showers.

Tenten was ready a good deal ahead of them. She was wearing the same thing as yesterday. She was still freaking out. She couldn't abandon her friends. She ran to the bathroom and knocked on it.

"What the hll is taking you guys so long?!" She cried. She opened the door and Sakura and Ino stumbled out.

"What the-?"

"It locked from the outside!" Ino yelled. She checked her watch. "10?!!!!Oh my god, oh my god!!!!"

"Let's go before we get detention and end up shoveling sht all day."

Ino smiled. Tenten had used 3 different very bad words in the past hour or so. It was funny to hear her say them in such a manner.

Sakura and ino shared the same class. They waved Tenten good by before rushing off to 10th grade math. Tenten ran down the hall as fast as she could to the chemistry lab.

She stopped. She had arrived. Mrs. Shizutsune was teaching the class this year. Tenten had always liked her.

Tenten grasped the door handle and slipped inside as quietly as she could. She sat down at the only available seat. She hadn't been spotted, or had just been overlooked as usual. It was strange for a girl with so much personality to prefer to be invisible.

"Lab partners!" Mrs. Shizutsune called. "We are going to chose them today, with names out of a hat." There were several moans.

She smiled.

Tenten slid down in her seat. Not a lab partner. She couldn't partner up with anyone else but Sakura or Ino, and they were a grade younger. There was no hope. She chose not to pay attention to any of the names. Until she heard her own.

"Neji Hyuuga and Tenten." She said.

There were several ooh's and aah's around the class. Most kids had a questioning look on their face like , who was this Tenten?

Tenten rolled her eyes. Now she had to be paired with a popular boy. What next? Auditioning for a talk show? She smiled. In her dreams.

"All right children, you will be meeting up with your lab partners during study hall." Mrs. Shizutsune said. "Tenten."

Tenten jumped, she was not used to having her name called on before.

"Please actually show up." She said. "I say pair up with your partners during study hall, please show up to study hall. No skipping."

There were several giggles.

The rest of the day went by quickly. Tenten, despite Mrs. Shizutsune's words, didn't even bother to show up to study hall. She couldn't bear working with a popular boy. She would make up an excuse later.

The day ended swiftly and quickly, well, the school day. Tenten met up with Sakura and a confused Ino in the main hall.

"Okay Ino, since you are now especially and eternally our best friend, " Sakura and Tenten said together. "We would like to invite you to work at our store."

"Eternally?" Ino said.

"A lot of people make mistakes." Sakura said. "We just want you to know that we aren't the kind of friends that seem like really good friends in the beginning and then turn into enemies later. We're those loving, forever lasting kind of friends."

Tenten nodded.

"So…what do you want me to do?" Ino asked.

"Work in our store."

"What store?"

Tenten smiled. "Me and Sakura have been running a store since she was in the 8th grade. Meme's Icrecream." She said. "We're probably the most popular store on all of the campus."

Sakura nodded.

"You would like me to work there with you?" Ino asked.

Tenten and Sakura nodded.

"O-okay I guess." Ino said.

Sakura grabbed Ino's hand and led her out the building door and onto the rest of the campus. All the school buildings were in a rather large circle and then there was a park thing in the middle and walk-ways and a huge stair and all that. The cafeteria was the main building, but the ice-cream shop was at the Student Shopping Center. Tenten lead the way. The Student Shopping was like a mall. It practically WAS a mall. It had all those open little stores and things. Tenten jumped over the counter of an icecream place with a sign, creatively drawn, that said "Meme's Icecream."

Sakura did the same and turned on all the lights, signifying that it was open. She pulled on a blue apron and threw one to Ino.

"What do you do Tenten?" Ino asked.

Tenten smiled. "I work the cooling machines in the back and bus boy all the stuff."

Ino turned to Sakura. "I take orders AND scoop, but I'll let you take orders since that's the easier of the two and I know what everything is."

Ino nodded.

Ino sat by the register, eyeing all the icecreams and different flavors that Meme's Ice Cream had. (May-may's Ice Cream.) "Where did you get all this stuff?" Ino asked.

"This is the Student Shopping Center, the school gave us the Ice Cream, we sell it."

"How was your first day Ino?" Tenten asked, coming out of a back door carrying a tub of rainbow sherbet

"I didn't know study hall could last so long!" Ino replied. "But my lab partner was cute!"

Tenten raised her eyebrows. "You got a lab partner too?"

Ino nodded, "Mine was Kiba Inuzuka. Who was yours?!"

Tenten shrugged, "Nobody."

"Awe come on, who is it?!" Ino pleaded.

Tenten looked down and folded her arms. "Neji Hyuuga."

"What?!" Sakura screamed bouncing off her seat. "Did you get to choose your own partner?! Did he choose you?!"

Tenten smiled. "Of course not! Mrs. Shizutsune drew names out of a hat."

"It MUST be fate!" Sakura said.

"No it's not. She chose."

"What did he do when you met him at study hall?"

Tenten shrugged, "I skipped."

Sakura's jaw dropped, "You SKIPPED a study hall meeting with the most popular guy in school?!"

"That's why I skipped, he's the most popular guy in school, all he wants is attention, and all I want is to be invisible."

Ino nodded. "I'll tradeja lab partners."

"I would, but this is 11th grade chemistry, not 10th grade science."

Ino pouted. "You're right." She said.

"Customers!" Sakura whispered harshly.

Ino and Sakura straightened up and smiled at the group of girls passing by.

Tenten ducked behind the back door and began to work the machines.

Hinata, Temari and Kin passed by. _Populars_. Tenten thought as she looked through the glass hole in the door. She then turned to all the freezer machines and started pushing buttons and dials.

"Hey girls!" Kin called. She walked up to the counter. "You caught me in a good mood today, I'll have a Mocca Whip with extra cinnamon." She looked back at her two other companions.

Hinata walked up, "Zap Frap with half as much ice as you usually put in there and a shot of sugar free vanilla."

Temari smiled, "You two are too complex." She said. "Dos scoops of chocolate icecream on a waffle cone."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "You've always been a sucker for plain old ice cream haven't you?"

Temari nodded. "That's where me and Neji are alike. We don't like getting complex drinks, just a whole ton of chocolate!"

Sakura bit her lip and then said, "Mocca Whip with extra cinnamon, Zap Frap, half the ice, shot of SF vanilla and two scoop chocolate on a WC, got it."

Ino smiled at her ice cream lingo.

It must have been just a minute and Sakura had all 3 ready and waiting at the counter. Kin took hers and paid, Hinata took hers and paid and Temari did the same. They walked off.

"Hinata!" Ino called. "You gave us a lot more than you needed to."

Hinata turned around. "Keep the change!" She called back and the three continued strolling down the shopping center.

Tenten stepped out with a huge tub of chocolate in her arms, "Temari alone has eating about 3 whole tubs of our chocolate this month!"

"Doesn't bother me." Sakura said. "As long as she pays."

Tenten placed the tub down and then opened the freezer ice cream bar thingy. She put the tub in and then closed it.

"I think it's getting over frozen." Ino said.

Tenten looked at it. "Oh fck you're right!" She scurried away and came back with a box of tools. "The freezer breaker broke again!" She said to herself. The freezer breaker was on the other side of the room from the ice cream, behind Sakura and Ino on the opposite wall from the counter (which was also the ice cream.)

"Do you know how to fix it?" Ino asked.

Sakura and Tenten nodded. "I'm the mechanic." She said.

A group of boys was walking up just as Tenten lay down on her skate board and disappeared under the breaker. It was an interesting device that some nerd on campus had invented, it broke off the cold so that the ice cream did not have to be kept on a manual temperature Letting different amounts in and then breaking it off so that the temperature could be changed. But when it broke, it let a lot of freezing liquid out and cooled the ice cream too much.

"Hello." Sakura said. "If you could wait for a minute, we're having a machine fixed. It should only be a minute."

The boys nodded, willing to wait.

Tenten slid out from under the breaker, everyone looked at her as she grabbed a wrench and slid back under. She did that for a few times. "CRAP!!!" She yelled.

Everyone jumped.

She slid back out, holding a little charge box that she had snapped off. "It's up and working for today, but that's how long it will last. We need a new part."

Sakura nodded as Tenten disappeared behind the door.

Sakura turned back to the boys, there was Gaara, Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru and Neji, more populars.

"Who was that?" Neji asked.

Sakura smiled. "Uhhh no one."

"Yes It was." Gaara said. "She's really weird."

"Tenten is that way." Sakura replied.

"Tenten?" Neji asked.

"Oh crap!" Sakura whispered. She fixed some of their orders. Not wanting to continue the conversations.

"Hey Neji!" Sasuke said. "Tenten, isn't that your lab partner that didn't show up?"

"Yeah." Neji replied. "She was also really late to class."

"Wonder what she does…" Naruto said.

"Don't talk about my roomie that way." Sakura said, setting down their orders.

"What? She's a freak, and always will be." Neji said, he paid for everyone.

Ino growled.

The boys walked off.

"I ought to just punch that boy in the face." Tenten said, emerging from her door. "This is why I hate being notice. Because that happens. All he wants is attention. I'm fine with that, just leave me out of it!"


	3. The Idiot Games

Tenten bit her lip. Mrs. Shizutsune had found out that she had skipped and had forced her to go to study hall and meet Neji so they could make up for the discussion they missed yesterday.

She was sitting at a table, waiting for him to arrive. What could be worse than this?! She had a book sitting in front of her, so she had reason to look down half the time. But none of this would help her escape from having to meet with her popular lab partner.

_Tap! Tap! Tap!_ Tenten sat up startled and looked out the study hall window into the hallway. Sakura and Ino were standing there, looking at her with worried faces.

"Is he here yet?" Ino mouthed.

"No. But I'm glad." Tenten mouthed back.

Sakura and Ino smiled, but then the smiles were wiped off their faces and then ran for it.

Tenten looked after them. Where were they-

"Hello."

Tenten nearly screamed, she would have if she hadn't put her hand over her own mouth. But she did jump. She turned to see Neji standing over her.

Neji gave her a questioning look.

Tenten turned away. She did not want to stare.

"Why did you skip yesterday?" Neji asked, sitting down across from her.

She continued to stare away. "I-I have my reasons." She said.

He nodded. "So…what are we supposed to talk about?"

"The hydration of stars?" Tenten said. She enjoyed playing idiot around others.

"No…um…no. No. I think we were supposed to devise a plan on how to approach lab stuff."

"What does devise mean?" Tenten asked, smiling stupidly. It was time for the idiot games to begin.

"To make up."

"To put make up on? That makes no sense."

"No…to think of an idea."

"Ooooooohhhh!" Tenten smiled.

Neji.

This was just. I've known her for 3 years, she gets horrible grades and is just plain weird. I'd never figured out what was up with Tenten. It's almost as if she just WANTS to be invisible. I closed my eyes. I couldn't deal with someone who was dumb like this. I've known Tenten for a while. If there's one thing she's NOT, it's being a fan girl, she wasn't dumbing herself down…I don't think..but all signs point to NO. She was just an idiot. I couldn't work with her though. I just couldn't. Not with this strange girl who goes out of her way not to be seen. I barely even know what her hair color is and what her face looks like, she keeps it all covered up half the time. Heck, I haven't even seen her full face and full hair in the whole time that I've known her. She also always wears layers and long sleeves and long pants. She is a freak.

* * *

Tenten couldn't help but smile as Neji got up and walked out. Now she would have an excuse as to why she didn't have a lab partner. She saw his dark brown pony tail disappear behind the door. Ino and Sakura popped up from beneath the window sill. Questioning looks on their faces.

"What happened?" Ino mouthed.

"I'll tell you at lunch." Tenten mouthed back.

* * *

Tenten grabbed her tray. Sakura and Ino were behind her. Lunches at the boarding school cafeteria were free.

"So?" Ino said.

Tenten nodded. "In a bit, hey Sakura!" She called.

Sakura looked up. "Yes Tenten?"

"Are we eating in the dorm today?"

"Well, I suppose you won't tell us if we do, it's too quiet." Sakura said. She grabbed a bottle of juice.

Tenten nodded. "C'mon Ino-pig, forehead girl." She smiled. "Let's find a table."

Sakura and Ino giggled at their little nicknames.

"So Tenten, tell us." Ino said. "Why did he leave?"

Tenten smiled. "He left probably cause I was stupid."

"You played dumb?"

"She always has." Sakura replied.

"I asked what devise meant."

"You know what that means, that's like the easiest word ever." Sakura said.

"I know, so I asked what it meant, even though I already did, and he said, 'to make up' then I asked, 'to put make up on?' and it was just funny." Tenten said, "Then he sat real quiet and then just left."

"Are you upset the hottest guy in school totally walked out on you?" Ino asked.

Tenten smiled. "Not in the least. I was glad."

"How 'bout you?" Tenten asked. "Anything interesting with your lab partner…Kiba? Was it?"

"Yea Kiba." Ino said. "He is so HOT!!!"

"No I mean, what did you discuss?"

"Um…he said he saw me at the ice cream place yesterday, he thought it was cool that I was working there."

"Did you really get around to talking about science?" Tenten asked.

Ino nodded. "Yeah we did."

Suddenly Neji, Kiba, Gaara, Sasuke and Naruto came out of nowhere and sat at their same table. Tenten looked down.

Sakura smiled at them all. "Hey um…what are you doing here?"

"There's no other table." Naruto said.

Ino smiled and then turned to Kiba.

"Have you figured out what xanthophylls means yet?" Kiba asked her.

Ino shook her head, the cafeteria was quiet, anyone could be easily heard. "Does anyone know what xanthophylls means?" She asked the kids at her table.

Everyone shook their head.

"A yellow or brown oxygenated carotenoid pigment that colors autumn leaves." Someone blurted.

Everyone turned in surprise. Tenten was sitting there, looking up nervously at everyone.

"A what?" Ino asked.

"A yellow or brown oxygenated carotenoid pigment that colors autumn leaves." She repeated.

Sakura stared in disbelief at Tenten. She had actually spoken up.

Neji raised his eyebrows. Had she really been playing stupid? It didn't sound like it now.

Kiba smiled. "Do you know what viscoelastic means?"

Tenten played with her fork as she held it, poking it into her food, she looked up again. "it's an adjective, describing asphalt and many polymers that exhibit both viscous and elastic properties."

Sakura by now was gaping. She leaned forward and whispered into Tenten's ear, "You are slowly proving to Neji that you are hiding something you know."

"That's the whole point, it's to confuse him." Tenten whispered back.

Sasuke spoke up, "Okay Tenten, define this, zinc fluorosilicate."

Tenten raised her eyebrows, then looked down. "Solid used as a wood preservative, a white crystalline solid used as a wood preservative and fungicide."

"Do you know the formula?" Sasuke asked.

Neji raised his eyebrows.

"ZnSiF6.6H2O" Tenten replied.

"Woah." Kiba mouthed, raising his eyebrows.

"That solves the chemistry problem." Neji muttered, looking down.

Tenten got up, grabbing her tray. She had eaten quickly. And she had said too much.

"Where are you going?" Sakura called.

"To the library!" Tenten called back, she dumped her tray, put it on the line, she turned and saw Neji get up also. Was he going to follow her? Tenten sighed, she would have to make sure he wouldn't.


	4. No Name

_**K, so, I would like to thank **__**Rikida**__**, she's 11 and she helped me think of some parts in this chapter, **__**cuz**__** I certainly couldn't think of anything, she's awesome. I am proud to be your older sibling. **_

Tenten had run to her dorm, she had pulled off her hat and hood a put on a blue shirt and then put on a pair of jeans. She hoped it would fool Neji enough. Now she sat at a table, invisible as could be with her brown hair down.

"Hmmm…." She hummed softly to herself. She wanted to come here because it was quiet, and no one liked the library.

The door opened.

Just as she had expected, Neji had followed her. He stood now at the opening of the library, looking about.

She could feel his eyes look over her, just what she wanted, for him to skip over her as she looked just like an average student. Or that's what she though.

"Did you see a girl come in here?" He asked.

Tenten looked up. "No." She replied in as light a voice as she could, she didn't want him recognizing her.

"You sure?"

"Perfectly."

He looked at her with a confusing look. She didn't look back, he didn't want her seeing her eyes. Neji stared at her. This girl, he had never seen before, she was dazzling bright and beautiful. He bit his lip, there was something about her…

"Can you define xanthophylls?"

Tenten cringed, so he suspected her. "Aren't those in leaves?" She said, he would suspect her more if she just answered no.

Neji frowned.

She continued to read.

"What's your name?"

Tenten bit her lip. What was she supposed to do? Make one up? No, she had to get out.

"Is that really of any concern?" She asked, she stood and started for the door. She stopped and turned, "I'm pretty sure Tenten is by the fountain." She lied and walked out.

The moment she got outside the door, she broke out into a run. She HAD to make it to the dorm. She wouldn't be going back to class today, not today. She had to avoid Neji at all costs.

* * *

"OH MY GOSH!!!" Ino yelled.

Tenten had opened the door and slipped in. Sakura had asked who she was, and Tenten had replied.

"Tenten!" Sakura said, standing up. "Look at you! You look-"

"Horrible?" Tenten asked.

"I was going to say fabulous."

"Yeah, well I wasn't." Tenten changed back into her hoodie and hat and long pants.

"Why are you doing that?!" Ino asked. "You look awesome!"

"I did because Neji followed me, I changed into that and went to the library; he didn't recognize me, which is what I wanted."

"You disguised yourself…by being yourself," Ino said thinking, "What a concept! That's a sign that something is seriously wrong with you."

Tenten sighed. "Class has started, why are you two still here?"

Sakura smiled "We figured you would skip too, so we came here."

"We'll have to be quiet." Tenten said, sitting down, "Or the dorm watchers will catch us."

Sakura nodded, "Tenten, are you ok?"

Tenten nodded as best she could. Neji had just followed her to reunite the chemistry partner thing, right? Or was it a confrontation? Was it going to be an interrogation? What was it? Tenten bit her lip. "I want to be invisible, and being friends with a popular guy will do just the opposite of that."


	5. OMG RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

Sakura and Ino had already left. Today they had a special lecture that started at 6, not a problem for the group of roomies, they had been up at 3, and didn't go back to sleep. Tenten had stayed in the room for a while to tried to organize the mini fridge. The attempt was, unfortunately, unsuccessful, but there was always the promise of tomorrow.

Tenten locked the door and headed down the empty hall, she wouldn't be late, but everyone was down stairs eating. She shoved the key in her pocket and rubbed her eyes. She would have to face Neji today, but maybe he forgot. Tenten smiled in hopefulness, she hoped more than anything that she wouldn't have to confront him.

She charged down the stairs, since they were very close together and rounded about in a square shape, half the time she just jumped over the rail to the next set.

"Good morning Hayate." She said as she strolled past the security guard. She didn't mean to speak out, she just felt like it this morning.

"Where's your hat Tenten?" Hayate asked.

Tenten froze. "My hat?"

"Yes your hat, all you're wearing is your hood." Hayate repeated.

Tenten cringed. "I must have forgotten it in my room!" She whispered harshly to herself. "Thank you." She said.

She couldn't go back for it, there wasn't enough time before her first class began. Chemistry.

She strolled down the halls as quickly as she could.

She entered the class room as quietly as she could. She was 5 minutes late, but for her normal schedule, that was considered early. She eyed over the class room as Mrs. Shizutsune nodded for her to sit down. No Neji.

Tenten couldn't believe her luck. No Neji! She sat down.

"Neji's sick." Kiba said from somewhere behind her.

Tenten cringed, was she that noticeable? "More like skipping." She replied.

"Oooohhh, you're good." Kiba said.

"Tenten! Kiba! Stop chit-chatting!"

Tenten looked up to see Mrs. Shizutsune with her yard stick.

There were giggles throughout the class. Tenten slapped her forehead. She could just feel the spotlight fall on her. And she wanted to get it away as soon as possible.

"Let's all learn a lesson from these two." Mrs. Shizutsune said.

Everyone leaned forward.

"If you don't want the spotlight, don't break the rules."

Tenten sunk lower in her desk.

"Thanks a bunch." She whispered.

As soon as class was over, she was out the door. There was enough time for her to bolt back to the dorm and grab her hat. She had been depending on the hood for this far.

She had to find her locker first. She turned a corner and gasped. There was Neji, and she would have to get past him to get to her locker.

"Hey!" Neji called.

Tenten froze. What could she do? Suddenly, two boys ran by, one knocked her hood off, her hair fell down. Neji would see! She gasped, but just as her hood had flown off, Temari had run up to Neji and kissed him.

Tenten sighed, pulling her hood back up. Thank you for Neji and Temari's relationship.

She sped past them, Neji broke away and tried to catch her but she turned a corner and continued running.

She opened her locker. Throwing her books inside. Was there a different route to the dorm than the way she had just come?

She looked back and could see the shape of Neji moving towards her through the crowd.

"CRAP!!!" She called. She started running, back through the hall, Neji spotted her and was hot on her tail.

"Wait!" He yelled. "I want to talk to you!!!"

Temari flew out of nowhere and grabbed Tenten. "Neji-kun wants to talk to you about your smarts."

Tenten broke away. "I don't feel like talking right now!"

"Tell that to him!" Temari said, pointing at Neji, who was coming up fast.

"Oh crap!" Tenten ran. Temari and Neji succeeded in pushing her towards the cafeteria.

Tenten entered. She dived to the end of the line. Neji entered. He would see her!

"What do I do?" She said, she looked down on the counter and saw a signup sheet for cafeteria. She ducked down below another kid and scribbled her name on the sheet. She looked at the times. Tomorrow, 12:00 to 1:00, lunch was from 12:15 to 12:50. She nodded and looked up. Neji was gone.


	6. The Demonic water hose of PAIN

"You have what?!" Sakura asked.

"Cafeteria duty." Tenten sighed.

"Why?" Ino asked.

"I was running from Neji. I had to lean down and I just signed it. It was a last option." Tenten said.

"When is it?"

"Now." Tenten replied. She shoved her hands in her pockets.

Sakura smiled, "Do you think we could sign up?"

"I'm sure they won't mind the extra help." Tenten smiled, she HAD been planning on cafeteria duty anyway, she had been doing it since she had first arrived.

* * *

"Sakura! Make sure those dishes are clean!" Tenten said. She placed a tub of dirty dishes by Sakura, who was holding a crazy hose, spraying the white plates.

"Keep that thing under control Sakura!" Ino yelled.

"I-I'm TRYING!!!" Sakura yelled back just as the hose nearly decapitated her.

Tenten smiled and exited the kitchen door, grabbing the napkins and things that people left on the tables.

"Tenten, it's 1." Ino called.

Tenten turned. "Okay." She said, dumping the trash and other things onto the line.

The girls walked through the halls. Not really heading anywhere.

"How long do we have to keep this up?" Ino asked, retying her long blonde hair, "It's totally grody."

"Two weeks," Tenten replied. "Then they switch and, GRODY? What kind of word is that?!"

"An eighty's word." Ino replied, sulking. "My mom uses it."

"So does my mom, doesn't mean I use it." Sakura said.

"Make sure you have that demon hose under control Sakura." Tenten said. "It could cause someone a bit of trouble."

* * *

"Next load!" Ino called.

Sakura nodded, and handed a tub full of dirty dishes to Ino. Ino began to spray it with ease.

"How can you control it like that?!" Sakura pouted.

"It LIKES me." Ino replied. "It fcking HATES you."

Sakura crossed her arms and stormed off to gather the dishes from the line.

"Tenten, we need some more tubs!" Sakura said. "Can you run to the back and grab like, 10 more?"

Tenten nodded. "Whatever you say mon captain."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at Tenten as she disappeared into the back room.

"Who cleans this place?" Tenten asked.

The room was rather large, a huge mirror on one of the wall, so that whoever may enter, had a little 'ghost' that followed them around. The floors were deep brown, and the only supplies that could be seen were along the walls.

"Ten tubs, Ten tubs." Tenten whispered to herself. She didn't see any tubs anywhere.

There was a shower hose, like the one Ino had was using running in the back. Tenten stepped forward, she could just feel creepy music playing.

Suddenly the shower hose unhooked and went flying.

Tenten blocked herself from being sprayed. But there was a greater danger.

She looked up in horror as the hose flew into the mirror.

It shattered; Tenten could feel herself being pummeled with glass. She could feel it in her arms, her face, her legs and her stomach. Even her back.

She opened her eyes, the brown floor was now shining with white from the shards of the mirror. She bit her lip; it hurt.

She stood, she looked down and saw red around her.

"Oh fck!" She whispered harshly to herself, she saw her reflection in the shards around her. She removed her jackets so that she was wearing a white T-shirt, she was wearing light blue Capri pants. She could feel blood running down her face from her forehead. Her arms were extremely cut up, and her legs, and her shirt was turning red. She tied the hoodie around her waist and stared at her cut up self.

"Fck." She whispered again, she had to get out before she bled to death. She pulled a large shard of mirror out of her arm. That was about all, the rest was on the floor. She opened the door and looked out at the bustling cafeteria. The exit was on the other side, she would have to run right through it to get out.

She closed the door and leaned up against it. "This is NOT my day." She muttered. She turned and entered the door.

She looked out, making a strategy.

She sighed.

"5" She readied herself in a running position. "4, 3, 2,"

She sighed deeply. _If I don't die, my life will be ruined._ She thought._ And if I do...well then, Sakura can have my hat, and, I'll pass my legacy down to her, and it will be her turn to try and clean out the mini-fridge._

"Not getting any young…1!!!"

She flew out the door and bolted across the cafeteria. Her legs her badly from the cuts. She breathed hard.

"Half way there." She whispered. She barreled along, until she felt a wrenching feeling in her arm. She was forced to stop and turn, she looked down, Neji was clasping her wrist tightly, looking at her in horror.

"Oh no." She whispered.

"What happened?" He asked.

Tenten bit her lip, her hair was down, but her probably recognized her by her beanie hat and the sweat shirt tied around her waist.

"I-" She opened her mouth to speak, but she only felt pain. "Yeah I'm fine." She breathed out, smiling nervously. "Just had a little accident." She tore herself out of his grasp and charged at the door, she opened it and looked back at all the stunned people, and then she disappeared.

Neji

I watched her disappear. I was in shock. The girl that I had seen at the library, that dazzling, awesome girl, had just run through the cafeteria, she was cut on her forehead and her arms. And her legs too. I eyed the door and then looked at the blood on my hand. What had happened? All of a sudden Sakura came running out.

"Is she okay?"

I shrugged. "What happened?"

Sakura breathed hard. "We heard a huge crash. And there was a huge mirror in the back that was completely shattered, and then I saw her-" She made a motion with her hand of running across the cafeteria.

I stood up. I could tell from the look on Sakura's face that she wanted me to find her. I ran out the door.

* * *

Tenten hopped in the shower, the only thing she took off was he hat. She wanted to wash away all of the blood before proceeding to bandage herself.

"Those hoses really ARE demonic!" She whispered to herself. She turned the water off and sat down on the bench that ran along the wall of the shower room.

There was a knock on the door.

"What?!" She asked, pulling out a wrap of bandages. These would do.

The door opened and Neji's face appeared. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. Be out in a second." Tenten said before considering who it was.

She wrapped up her arms with great care. And then her legs, and her stomach. She sat back, taking as much time as possible, as she was hoping Neji had left. She stuck a band-aid on her forehead and proceeded to exit.

"Hello?" She whispered. Looking out into the hall.

"Come out." Someone said.

Tenten sighed and put on her hat. The clothes she was wearing were nearly dry.

She walked out, her arms crossed, looking down.

Neji smiled at her. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Tenten nodded as best she could. She still felt the sting of the cuts.

"I think we should take you to the nurse." Neji said.

Tenten shook her head. "I'm fine." She said. She sat down against the wall, staring into the dark abyss that was her future. Or so she thought.

Neji rested himself beside her.

"Tell me." Neji said. "What book were you reading in the library 4 days ago?"

Tenten froze. "H-how?"

"When you ran, you had your hair down, I could tell it was you, no name, but I saw her hat and knew it had to be Tenten."

Tenten sighed. She stood.

"Where are you going?" Neji asked.

"Away from the spotlight." Tenten said as she ran back to her room.


	7. Paper notes

_**Rikida**__** helped me a little again. I wanted to make it not so puny. It's not so good, but, I hope it will get better. **_

"Where are we going?" Ino asked.

The group was heading down the stairs quickly, Tenten, toying with the keys in her pocket.

"Out for dinner." Sakura said. "It's Friday."

Ino nodded. "They let people go out on Fridays?"

"Der!" Tenten said. "If you are over 9th, you are free on weekends and Fridays."

"Well sorry, I haven't been going here since I was in the 8th grade." Ino replied, crossing his arms.

Tenten smiled. She couldn't really move straight since she was all bandaged up, it had been 2 days since her little incident.

Tenten opened the school door, nodding to Hayate.

Before heading out, she stopped.

"What?" Sakura said.

Tenten turned, "Hayate, um….where is my car parked?"

Hayate smiled. "Doesn't Sakura have her license?"

Sakura blushed.

"No." Tenten replied.

"Tenten!" Sakura whispered harshly.

Hayate smiled again. "At the back, row 15."

Tenten nodded, "Thanks."

Sakura and Tenten headed towards the back of the parking lot, Ino trailed along behind.

Sakura turned. "You're new in this city right?"

Ino nodded. Her very first day in the city consisted of arriving at the air port, being driven to the school and dropped off, where she was left waiting at the gate.

"Then…" Tenten said, smiling. "You are going to receive the V.I.P. tour."

They arrived at a dirty brown truck.

Ino raised her eyebrows. "Yours?"

"Not what you were expecting?"

"Kind of."

"Yeah well so am I." Tenten said, she went around and opened the driver's door and got in.

Sakura got in the back, Ino in the front.

"What?!" Tenten said, turning around.

"Can I drive?"

"No."

Sakura turned and pouted.

Tenten put her key in and they moved out of the parking lot.

"Puh-leeeeeeeeez?!" Sakura said, holding her hands up.

Tenten breathed out. "If we get pulled over, and YOU don't have your license, you know we are all doomed right?"

Sakura nodded. "I'll be real careful."

"Fine."

Tenten and Sakura switched places, now Tenten sat in the back. Tenten removed her hat and hoot. It was too stuffy in her car to be wearing that kind of layering. She straightened her free hair a little and smiled.

"Where to?" Ino asked, checking herself in the rear-view mirror.

"Don't they have discounts on Fridays at Joey's?" Sakura said.

"That place is always empty." Tenten replied.

"But there food is great."

"Any good pizza places around here?" Ino asked.

"I know of one." Sakura said, she looked at Tenten, and they said in unison, "Fridge Heights."

* * *

Tenten found herself spending most of the time looking out the back window. The car was dirty, but all of its windows were sparkling clean.

Ino was talking the whole way, most of which sounded like, "Sakura you ran a red light, Sakura, you cut that person off, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura."

Tenten leaned back and looked out the back window again, her arm was resting on the top of the seat as if she had her arm around some invisible person. She spied a car pull in behind them. She didn't look at who was driving, but just as the car was about to turn, they stopped and kept going, trailing after them for a ways.

Without turning around to look at the 2 in the front, Tenten said, "You guys, I think we're being followed."

* * *

Neji

Gaara, Sasuke, Sasuke, Kiba, Naruto and I were going out for dinner. Just us guys. I smiled at everyone, we were heading for Joey's.

"Look at that truck ahead." Kiba said. "It's trashed."

I smiled, our turn was coming up.

"Neji, can't you go any faster?!" Gaara asked.

"Not without breaking the speed limit." I replied.

Gaara nodded.

I began to move the steering wheel to turn. When I saw a face. I looked at the car in front of us and saw the face of Tenten in the back window, staring back at me. She smiled weakly, and kept staring. Her hair was down. I hated to think it, but she looked awesome.

Kiba narrowed his eyes, "Woah, hot girl at 12 'o' clock." He said, eyeing Tenten.

"Shut up!" I said, hitting him. "You don't even know who she is."

"Oh-ho-ho, but I sure would like to find out!" Kiba said.

I couldn't help but feel a bit of protectiveness over her. I wanted to smack Kiba.

"Dude, she is per-etty hot." Sasuke said, leaning forward.

"Stop it!" I said. No one else seemed to recognize her as Tenten.

"Why? Just the other day you were hooting at some girl in the park." Sasuke replied.

I looked down. "Yeah well…this is different, plus, I vow never to do that again." I said.

Gaara smirked "Yeah, well then why are you following her?"

I looked up, shocked. We HAD been following her. I must have subconsciously done so. I blushed.

I started to change lanes so we wouldn't.

Kiba grabbed the steering wheel. "No! Don't stop! I want to see where their headed."

Sasuke smiled, "Maybe some-"

"No!" I said. "I do NOT want to hear anything out of your sick mind."

* * *

"It' s Neji and the others." Tenten said.

Sakura giggled. "Their following us?" She asked.

"Yes." Tenten said.

"Hey Tenten, they should go to the same place as us."

Tenten shivered. "No!"

"Awe come on!" Ino pleaded.

Tenten sighed. "Fine." She whispered, she knew that they would just follow them there anyway. "And I have a plan, to get them to. Now where's that old notebook?"

* * *

Neji

I looked up and saw that Tenten had disappeared. I bit my lip, Where'd she go?

"Hey look!" Kiba said.

She had reappeared. She smiled and pressed a piece of paper with thick, sharpie letters written on it. I smiled and read it.

LIKE PIZZA?

"Whoah!" Kiba said. "We HAVE to respond, he pulled out a sharpie and note book paper from his back pack.

HECK YEAH

She nodded at his reply and pressed another paper against the window.

FRIDGE HEIGHTS?

Kiba put down his paper and then held it up again. Tenten laughed.

MEET US THERE.

She wrote.

I smiled, I grabbed a piece of paper and the sharpie.

"Hey! What are you writing?!" Kiba asked.

I didn't let him see. I pressed it up against the window so no one but Tenten could see it.

I THOUGHT YOU HATED THE SPOT LIGHT, NO-NAME.

Tenten laughed. She pressed another paper up against the window.

I DO. BUT YOU GUYS WOULD FOLLOW US ANYWAY.

Everyone in the car laughed. I ripped up the paper before anyone else could see, keeping a careful eye on the road, I wrote something else, this time, I didn't try to hide it.

RECOGNIZE ME?

"What is she gonna say?" Kiba asked.

She reappeared.

NEJI.

Everyone laughed.

She pressed something else up.

INO IS TELLING ME TO WRITE THIS:

"Ino?" Kiba asked. "Is she-"

"Shhh!" I said.

GAARA: MOODY BUT HOT.

NARUTO: A FREAK.

SASUKE: AN IMPATIENT EMO FREAK, BUT HOT.

KIBA: REALLY HOT!!!

NEJI: K, SO INO DOESN'T HAVE A REVIEW FOR YOU, BUT I'LL MAKE ONE UP.

SWEET AND ALL AROUND AWESOME. (HOT)

Kiba smiled. "Ino thinks I'm really hot?"

I narrowed my eyes. She said she had made that one up, but she called me hot. I shivered. I would have liked to right the same thing. We were nearing Fridge Heights.

* * *

Kiba held up a paper.

WHO ALL IS THERE?

Tenten smiled.

INO, SAKURA AND ME

Kiba replied. "Ino and Sakura?" He said.

AND WHO IS ME?

I swallowed hard. Would she reply?

1010

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "One thousand and one?"

I couldn't help but smirk. _NO!!! __TenTen__!!! You idiot!!_ My mind screamed.

We pulled into the parking lot.

* * *

Tenten sighed. They would figure out her name easy.

"Tenten…" Ino teased.

"What?!" I said, perturbed on her making me say that all the boys were hot except Naruto.

"Wonder week is next week." Ino said.

"Oh no!" Tenten said. Wonder Week was the week when everyone had to dress up as fabulous of they could for a full week.

Ino smiled devilishly. "I dare you to actually participate."

"No way." Tenten growled.

"You're afraid!" Ino said.

Tenten sighed, "For the sake of you not annoying me, I accept."

"Calm down!" Sakura said. "Right now we have dinner with Neji and the others."

"Right now, my life is ending." Tenten muttered. She had to leave her hat in the car. She hoped no one would recognize her.


	8. Pizza and Playgrounds

Kiba grinned. "Hey Ino!" He said running up. He eyed Tenten.

Tenten backed away from the group uncomfortably; she kept her eyes on the ground. She was wearing a blue long sleeve shirt and jeans. She crossed her arms, a tinker bell purse clinging to her arm. Sakura had leant it to her.

"Shall we go in?" Sakura said.

Gaara, Sasuke, Kiba and Naruto smiled and nodded. No Neji.

Tenten entered the door, she could just feel the guys' eyes on her. She cringed. She couldn't bare sitting with these people, she would be recognized. The group passed in front of her, heading towards a large table. She hung behind for a second, then she started to join him, when a hand clasped her arm gently. She turned and saw Neji standing there. Smiling. The group turned.

"Um…" Neji said. "We're going to get our own table."

"Oooooooohh." Some of the boys teased, Neji shot them a deadly look.

Neji lead Tenten to a table out of sight from them. A booth that was tucked away.

She sat down, he sat down across from her.

Tenten smiled. "Thank you." She said, half laughing. "For getting me away from them."

"That's why I offered." Neji replied. "I could feel how uncomfortable you were."

Tenten nodded. She still didn't feel much more comfortable with Neji, she leaned out from the side of the booth and waved at Sakura and Ino, before returning to staring forward.

She took the ordering pad and scribbled down her drink and pizza, then handed it to Neji, who wrote his. They hung it on the end of the table.

"You know," Neji said looking down.

Tenten cocked her head to the side. Neji looked up, "I never got to talk to you."

Tenten smiled. "You didn't did you?"

"Can I now?" He asked.

Tenten squirmed nervously in her seat.

"Promise you won't run away?" He asked.

"I promise." She whispered.

"You really are smart aren't you." Neji stated.

"I play dumb so that I don't stand out." Tenten replied.

They both looked up, and their eyes locked in an uncoordinated stare.

Neji nodded and looked away.

"You know," He began. "People would like you much more if you showed the real you." He said. "To everyone else you seem tiny and shy and so blunt and plain and soul-less. But I know you're not. I can see it in your eyes."

Tenten could feel herself turn red. "And I can see that you aren't the spoiled, popular, perve that everyone thinks you are."

Neji smiled, he could feel a hot sensation in his hands.

They looked down and saw that their hands were entwined, resting on the table surface.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Uh---oh gosh!"

They both said at the same time. They drew their hands away from each other, resting them in their laps. They looked away, embarrassed.

The food arrived quickly. Neither of them ate very much. A nervous silence fell among them.

Neji looked up, "You want to-"

"Yeah." Tenten said, already guessing what he was thinking.

"Let's blow this joint."

The two stood up and walked to the entrance. They stopped and leaned out, smiling at the group.

Kiba and the rest looked back to see that mystery girl leaning out and waving at them. Neji behind her, doing the same. They turned and disappeared.

"Oooooohh." Kiba said.

It was dark outside. Tenten stepped out onto the concrete. "Got any plans?" She asked.

"Playground?" Neji asked.

Tenten smiled. "You hit me at my weak spot." She said.

Neji took Tenten's hand and held it tightly in his. They walked, their hands swinging along with them into a large field. Before them there was a huge playground.

Tenten broke into a run, Neji close behind her. She laughed as Neji caught her around the waist, picking her up and spinning her about. He set her down and they proceeded to run to the swing set.

Tenten sat down. Neji in the swing beside her. They began to move back and forth. She punched him playfully in the arm.

"Hey!" He said, his swing slowed to a stop.

"What?" Tenten said, scraping her feet along the ground so her swing would stop too.

"You can't do that." He said with a smile. He crossed his arms and sat up straight with a sarcastic air about him. "I'm untouchably cool."

"No you're not!" Tenten said, she pressed her finger up against his forehead.

He smiled. "It's a full moon." He said.

"Don't turn into a werewolf." Tenten said.

"I won't." Neji said with a laugh.

"Good."

They stared at each other before meeting in probably the sweetest kiss that a teenager could have experienced.

Tenten could feel her senses flaring up as Neji wrapped his arms around her. She broke away and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why me?" She whispered.

"Because while other girls are obvious, you, Tenten, remain a complete mystery." He said. "You're just right. Why me?"

Tenten smiled. "Because you are not all that you seem, Neji Hyuuga. I have that feeling of rightness."

He smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" Neji asked.

"Yes."

"Why do you hate the spotlight? Why do you strive to be invisible?"

Tenten remained quiet, then she began, "I-"

"TENTEN!!! NEJI!!!!" Someone called.

Tenten sat up. She had completely forgotten about the others. She stood up. "We should go." She said.

"But-"

Tenten was already running off. "C'mon Neji!" She yelled.

Neji sighed, and followed.


	9. Do us all a favor

"Tenten!" Someone called.

Tenten sat up in bed, her heart pounding; it had been a full week since her little 'moment' with Neji, and already she felt lighter. She bit her lip. She knew that Neji already had a girl friend, Temari, bus she wondered if he would break up with her.

"Tenten?"

Tenten pulled her legs up to her chest and rocked back and forth, she didn't want Neji to leave Temari for her. Temari would be heartbroken.

_I'll just stop seeing him. I'm not going to be the one that Neji leaves her for._ She said in her mind.

_Perflunk_Tenten felt a pillow slap against her face. She jumped.

"What the fck was that for?!!!"

Ino stood over her, looking pleased. "There." She said.

"What?!" Tenten said, getting out of bed.

"You wouldn't wake up, or you wouldn't listen to me." Ino said, smiling.

Tenten grabbed her usual hoodie and hat, before Ino snatched it out of her hands.

"What the fck is fcking wrong with you?!" Tenten said.

"You forgot our little agreement." Ino said. She took the hat and hoodie over to her safe box.

"You wouldn't!" Tenten said.

"I would." She unlocked it and threw that hat and hoodie inside, then she locked it with the key that she wore around her neck. "And I did."

"Ino! I should just kill you!" Tenten yelled.

"We had an agreement remember? It's only fair that I….remove the temptation."

"What agreement. What the hll are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?" Ino said as sweetly as she could, so sweet it was a bit creepy in fact. "You accepted my dare to actually participate in wonder week."

Tenten slapped herself on the forehead. "Oh no! I forgot!"

"That's right little girl-"

"Hey I'm older than you."

"-And you are going to be just as fabulous as ever this week."

Tenten fell on her knees and yelled, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" She collapsed in front of Ino. "Be kind." She whispered.

Ino laughed, then she grabbed Tenten by the collar and picked her up. "Aren't we dramatic!"

"Lights fading! Breath leaving! Good-bye cruel world!"

Sakura opened the door and came in. "What the fck is happening? It sounds like a soap opera in here."

"Good-bye sweet Sakura! I shall always miss you! May you always keep the mini-fridge clean!"

"Tenten is having a break down because she has to participate in wonder week this year."

"Ouch." Sakura said, setting down her coat and then walking in.

"You won't get seen by Sasuke, Naruto, Gaara, Shikamaru and all that!" Ino said to Tenten. "They're all in the 10th grade. The only popular guys who will see you are Kiba and Neji, because they're in your grade."

"It's surprising that Kiba and Neji are the only popular 11th graders." Sakura said.

"NOOOO!!! " Tenten cried again. "That only makes it worse!"

"Why?"

Tenten sat down on her bed. "Because Neji is already dating Temari and he doesn't need any reminders of what we did last week!" She snapped.

"Kiss? Awe that's nothing." Ino said. "He won't be reminded."

Tenten folded her arms.

"What are you going to wear Tenten?" Sakura asked, running up.

"I don't know."

Ino smiled devilishly and sauntered over to Tenten's dresser. "Let's find something sexy!" She said.

"No. Let's not!" Tenten replied.

Ino pulled out a orange floral tie-dye skirt that went down past the knees to mid-shin, it was thin, but not see through and was very free and would spread out if one twirled around.. She then found a brown short-sleeve shirt and orange polka dot spaghetti strap, both were again thin, but no see through. She pulled out an orange and brown thick headband and dark brown thick hoop earrings. "This outfit would be adorable with your grey and black high-tops and a couple of bracelets."

Tenten sighed miserably. "Do your worst."

* * *

"Oh my god! I love it!" Sakura squealed.

Tenten looked in the mirror. She was wearing the long flow-y skirt and her grey and black high-tops and she had the spaghetti strap shirt under the brown short-sleeve one. Her hair was in two low pig-tail loops. She had the head band on and the earrings in. Ino forced some brown and orange and white bracelets onto her wrists and she wore an orange and white beaded necklace on a brown string.

"It sooooo compliments your curves girl." Ino said stepping back. "I'm a genius."

"No you're not. You're a monster." Tenten said, turning slowly in circles, the white spaghetti step was slightly longer than the brown shirt over it so it stuck out a couple of inches and wrapped around her waist comfortably. The brown shirt only went to just about her waist.

"Tenten, you look beautiful." Sakura sighed.

"No I don't." Tenten replied. "I look awful."

"School starts in 10 minutes. Go get 'em girl." Ino said, nearly throwing Tenten out the door.

"Ino I hate you!" Tenten called.

Ino smiled. "Thank you darling." She stepped out. She herself was wearing a pink shirt that said 'Don't even think about it.' On the front and beaded jeans and a pair of Sakura's Vans.

Sakura didn't dress up like anything special. She only braided her hair and wore a white dress and clogs.

"Wait Tenten, don't move!" She said; she bent down and un-tucked a bit of hair from one of the pig-tail loops, she pulled it in front of the headband; she began to braid it into a long, but very skinny braid. On the end she added an orange bead. "Now you are perfect. Leave that little braid out of your headband and let it hang by the side of your face. It makes you look really cute."

"I don't want to look cute." Tenten whined. "I want to be invisible."

Sakura bit her lip. Her friend was really unhappy, but she DID agree to Ino's dare.

"Let's go!" Ino said, pulling up Tenten and nearly dragging her down that hall. "I can't wait to show off my new friend!"

Tenten turned to Sakura as best she could. "A week ago, someone called us from the playground." She said. "Who was it? They yelled, 'TENTEN!!!NEJI!!!'"

Sakura smiled. "That was us."

"So the other guys still don't know who I am?"

"Nope, they don't have a clue, they were all inside finishing up."

Tenten nodded nervously. Now she had to worry about being recognized.

"Ouch!" She yelled as Ino dragged her down the stairs. She was trying her best to stay on her feet.

"Hurry up!" Ino opened the door and raced down the hall.

She then let go of Tenten, letting her friend slide into a locker. Sakura and she disappeared.

"Where did they go now?" Tenten pleaded. She was alone. She opened her locker and pulled out her Chemistry book and her white binder. She closed the locker door.

"Hello little miss mystery."

Tenten jumped and turned to see Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara and Neji standing there.

She waved a little nervously, especially when she saw Neji, who had his eyebrows raised. She saw what he was wearing, a black shirt, a white jacket (not a sports coat or tux or anything like that, but pretty much a hoodie) and jeans. The hoodie was unzipped so you could see the black shirt. He looked amazing. In fact, everyone looked glamorous.

"Where's Temari?" She asked Neji with a kind smile.

Neji shrugged. "I'm pretty sure she's moved on to Shikamaru."

"Is that why he's not here?" Tenten asked. She was tightly clenching her white binder and Chemistry book.

"I'm pretty sure."

"Sound like you're pretty jealous."

Neji blushed.

Kiba grinned.

Tenten began to walk around the group she turned around, they all turned to face her. "See ya at Chemistry Neji. Oh and Kiba, don't talk to me, we got in trouble last time. I hate the spotlight." She walked off.

"Was that just me-" Kiba said, utterly surprised. "-or did she really sound like that Tenten girl just then-oh no!" He turned to Neji. "She IS Tenten isn't she?! 1010. Oh my gosh! I didn't know she was that fcking hot!"

Neji began walking after her. "You're smart Kiba." He smiled and began to run.

* * *

Lunch came up quick. Kiba had skipped Chemistry for some unknown reason. Tenten sat down by herself. Sakura and Ino were over flirting with the guys. She had remained hidden as best she could all day. But apparently, the best she could, was not good enough.

Several kids passed by her.

"Go Tenten!" The whispered.

"Hey Tenten!"

"Zup Tenten?"

"How's it goin' Tenten?"

Tenten looked down. HOW THE FCK DID THEY FIND OUT???!!!

She searched around wildly. Who was telling her secret?

"Ahem!"

She looked up, only to be met by the face of Temari, Hinata, and Kin.

"Tenten.." Temari said. "Nice get up."

Tenten didn't respond.

"When are you going to stop pretending?! You always liked the shadows! And that's where you belong! Invisible Girl! Do us all a favor, and stop pretending to be glamorous. Stop pretending like you're a mystery." Temari leaned down closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Do us all a favor, and disappear."

Tenten clenched her plate as the three walked off. She put her face in her hands. She grabbed her tray and dumped it, put it on the line and left. Tears coming from her eyes.

_I AM going to disappear. _


	10. Undying promises

Tenten walked down that hall speedily. She whipped away a tear. She would find a place where she could disappear. She opened the auditorium door. She saw the stage.

"I will disappear." She whispered. She climbed up onto the set and then went to the right, behind the curtain back stage where a ladder was clinging to the wall. It went up for about 50 feet. She made her way up it. Having hit her head several times as the ladder ran through several holes. Then she came to the top. She slid off the ladder and looked around. There were several walk ways up here, dangling above the stage.

"I will." On one walk way there was a little cut out hole in the wall. It didn't go back very far and wasn't very wide. I was used for miscellaneous storage; just big enough for a one or two people to sit in. She climbed up into the hole, it was pretty far off the ground and pulled her knees to her chest, and she straightened her skirt and sat there.

_Do us all a favor and stop pretending that you're a mystery. Do us all a favor and disappear. _

She scooted back further into the darkness, so her feet would be fully in. She cried more. Temari was right. It wasn't her place to flounce about. To be seen. She belonged in the shadows. She belonged in a place of zero visibility.

It was dark up here. Not too dark to see though. But dark, the lights from the stage reflected into this place.

She heard a noise. And tightened her grip around her knees. If some horrible creature came out and ate her. No one would notice. No one would care.

"Tenten?"

She opened her eyes to see Neji, standing at the opening of the hole, the bottom of which went up to his shoulders. Deep concern swam in his eyes.

"Go away." Tenten whispered.

"I'm not." Neji said, sliding into the hole alongside her. It wasn't a tight squeeze; there was almost a foot in between them.

Tenten rested her chin on her knees and looked down at her feet.

"Gosh do you look beautiful right now." Neji said.

Tenten only held her knees tighter. Trying to pull out a smile.

"What happened?" Neji asked.

"How can you see me?" Tenten asked.

"You're aren't invisible to me Tenten. I see you all the time, even when you're not with me."

Tenten could feel herself blush. "It's not my place to be seen and heard."

"Then what is?"

"To be quiet and watch everyone else."

"You know you don't mean that."

"Temari was right." She whispered, she began to climb out of the hole, but Neji grabbed her arm and gently tucked her back in.

"Stay." He said quietly. "What was Temari right about?'

"I SHOULD just disappear."

"She said that?"

"Yes, and she's right. I've lived that way here for the past 3 years. Why stop now? It works better for me."

"You did live that way for the past 3 years. But did you live happily?"

Tenten looked at him fully for the first time that day. "No." She whispered.

"Then why start again?"

"How did you find me?" Tenten asked.

"I don't know. Something just told me to come up here."

Tenten smiled weakly. "What should I do?" She asked.

"Prove her wrong."

"You know I can't do that." Tenten said.

"You CAN Tenten, and you WILL." Neji pulled her into a warm embrace, well more like putting his arms around her, she remained hugging her knees. He let go and looked at her. Searching her eyes for any emotion.

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?"

"Why do you make yourself invisible?"

Tenten sighed. She had been afraid of this. "Because things like this happen. Feelings are hurt. Fights start. Friendships are destroyed. Things fall apart. All because someone wanted to make themselves known. Temari wanted to make herself known. She wanted to make herself known to me, so she put me down. Things like this happen-"

Neji nodded. What a point she had. "Go on." He said.

She breathed out. "When I was in middle school, I had lots of friends, I had fun. I LIVED. And I wanted to tell everyone how cool my friends were. I boasted to this one kid about my friend. I wanted EVERYONE to know who he was. He got angry. The next day. I walk to school, everyone's bugging out. My friend was dead. And that one kid, was in Juvi because he killed him. All because of me. And I thought, all making yourself known is going to do is get you in trouble. So I moved to this boarding school in the 8th grade. In hope of a fresh start, and to be invisible."

Neji bit his lip. She had strong reasoning. He felt so sorry for her too. Her friend had died, and she believed it was all her fault.

Tenten smiled weakly, in an outrageous attempt to push those horrible memories away.

"Tenten I-"

"Don't say you're sorry." Tenten said. She smiled again. "He reminded me a lot of you."

Neji looked at her sadly. She looked into his eyes, and she found her answer.

"You're right." She said. "I need to move on. I need to LIVE. To LIVE. I can't live a happy life like this. He would not have wanted that." She slid out of the hole. "Thank you, Neji."

He grabbed her wrist and hugged her, before letting her go and watching her run off. "I promise." She yelled. "I promise I won't be invisible anymore!"


	11. Spider bite

"I thought I told you to disappear." Temari said angrily.

Tenten smiled at her. "And now I'm telling you to get off my back, and to stop trying to make yourself known in such a cruel way." She replied as kindly as she could. "Just, cruise for a while." Tenten smiled at her and walked off, feeling better already.

Temari looked after her menacingly. "That little brat! If it hadn't been for her meeting Neji, she would have never entered this world."

Kin and Hinata nodded.

"So, if she no longer can meet Neji. If Neji HATES her. She'll be forced back into her lowly little pathetic life."

Kin and Hinata nodded.

"Girls, I have a plan."

* * *

"Hey Tenten!" A group of girl and boys yelled.

"Hey guys." Tenten called.

Ino and Sakura appeared. "I think someone's getting adjusted."

"Am not!" Tenten said. "I'm just…cruising." She smiled sweetly at her friends.

"Popular much."

"Far from it. I just had a talk with the Popular Threesome and they probably hate me now."

"Is that a good thing?" Sakura asked.

"You know, it is."

Ino and Sakura raised their eyebrows.

"Want to head up to the dorm?" Tenten asked, swaying her arms with each step. Sakura and Ino nodded.

They stopped in the middle of a busy hall. Tenten grinned. "HEEEEELLLLOOOO!!!!" She called. Everyone turned and stared at her. She smiled and waved.

Sakura suddenly grabbed Tenten and started shaking her. "Who are you and what have you done with my Tenten!" She gasped. "You're an alien aren't you! You've taken my sweet little Tenten and you're experimenting on her as we speak! No wait!" Sakura gasped again. "You're a spy from the government."

"No." Tenten replied.

"And evil vampire?"

"No."

"A blood-thirsty zombie."

"No."

"My…mother?"

Tenten laughed. "Sakura I'm still me you know. I'm not an alien, or a government spy or a vampire or a zombie OR your mother. I'm me. "

Sakura nodded. "Riiiight."

Tenten, Sakura and Ino walked side by side. The sauntered up the stairs, giggling and laughing.

Tenten opened the door. She was smiling.

"Wanna go swimming?" Sakura asked.

"I would, but I've never been."

"We so should! You never wanted to because you said people would see you."

"You have a point."

Sakura and Ino squealed, they were loving their new and improved roomie. Tenten looked at Ino's dresser. There was a plate sitting on top of it. She looked at it, there was dead flies on it and some cellophane wrapped around it.

"Ew!! Who the hll put this plate up here?!" She said, throwing it away. "Sicko's, what are we? Cavemen?"

* * *

"It's 1:30, we should go to bed." Sakura whined.

"Awe c'mon Sakura, I like talking." Ino said.

"Sakura's right." Tenten said.

"Grrr…fine! But if you want to talk anytime, come see me!" Ino said. Tenten and Sakura climbed off of the top bunk. Sakura returned to her bottom bunk, and Tenten to the little twin bed.

"Turn the light off!" Sakura whined again.

"Fine fine!" Ino growled. It went black.

Sakura fell asleep first, and then Ino. Tenten last. They all lay silent. Tenten squirmed nervously, beads of sweat forming on her face. She was asleep, but she could feel a pricking sensation on her arm, the sensation grew hot, and turned into pain. She let out a wail.

* * *

3 days later….

"Where is Tenten?" Neji asked, walking up to Kiba and the others. "Have you seen her."

Kiba smirked. "I haven't for 3 days. She completely disappeared after that. So did her friends, Ino and Sakura."

"_Tsk__Tsk__Tsk_" Someone said.

Neji turned. Temari was standing there, with her arm around Shikamaru.

"What do you want?" Neji nearly growled.

"Have you guys seen Tenten?" She asked.

Everyone shook their heads. Temari raised her eyebrows. "I thought she would have been back by now."

"Where is she?" Neji inquired

Temari pulled him over down another hall. "Why do you want to know?" She asked.

"Because I haven't seen her in 3 days." Neji replied.

Temari sighed. "She's visiting her boyfriend in her old town." She said. "I don't know why. They say long distance relationships never work."

Neji could feel his face twist with shock. "Ex?" He asked.

"Of course not!" Temari snapped with a laugh. "Who in their right mind would visit their ex? No she's been dating him for like 4 years. She kept it up until now. Talented isn't she? Neji-kun?"

Neji could feel himself flare up with anger. "S-she's been-d-dating-" He turned away. A grim smirk slid onto her face.

"Don't hate her." Temari said.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that." Neji snapped angrily and he disappeared.

* * *

"Tell me what happened.' Sakura's mother asked over the phone.

Sakura turned, she was standing in the ICU along with Ino. "It happened like the days ago." She began. She looked worriedly around the waiting room. She desperately wanted to go see her friend. Ino was sitting in a chair, her face pale, while Sakura remained standing. "We just went to bed and then like, in the middle of the night, Tenten started like wailing in her sleep and I like said, 'Shut up Tenten!' and she kept on wailing, so Ino , like, woke up and was totally telling her to be quiet. And then I got up and went over to her and like, shook her, and she was all red and sweaty and it looked like she was crying. I totally started getting worried, so we like, turned the light on, and I pulled her covers off and she was like totally choking! She said she couldn't breathe. I was like, 'Have you eaten anything?' and then she was like, 'no.' and I was like, 'are you hurting.' And she totally nodded, and I rolled up her sleeve and looked at her arm and there was a spider bite on it. Mother, you do not know how awfully allergic she is to spider bites!"

Ino sank lower in her chair. Even hearing Sakura tell her mother about what happened that night was scary.

"Yeah," Sakura continued, "So I like totally called an ambulance and they came they totally took her to the city hospital. They had to put her in the freakin' ICU!"

"How long has she been admitted?" Her mother asked.

"She's been here for 3 days, and there's no sign of her getting better. We've been staying here too for 3 days. I can't go back to the dorm without her."

"Don't you have some sort of plan for her allergy?"

"Yeah, we have this special stuff in our room that prevents a spider from ever entering. Someone had to have put it there in order for it to get in. And keep it under cellophane on a plate or something, or else it would die." Sakura gasped. "Oh my god! Someone tried to kill Tenten!" Sakura began to pace, pondering while her mother talked.

A doctor came into the waiting room, smiling slightly. He motioned for the girls to come.

"Oh my god! They're allowing us in! Yeah, bye!" Sakura hung up her phone and followed the doctor. Ino followed closely behind Sakura.

"Is she okay?" Sakura asked.

"She's better." The doctor said. "She might even be able to go home today."

"Seriously?!" Sakura asked.

"No not really." The doctor sighed. "But probably tomorrow. And I'm not kidding."

Sakura sighed. "As long as she doesn't die."

"We're going to move her to the normal hospital. The ICU is no longer needed for her." He opened the door.

Sakura felt tears enter her eyes as she looked at Tenten. She was on a bed with an oxygen mask tied to her face. He eyes were half open.

"Tenten?" Ino asked.

Tenten waved. She grabbed a piece of paper that had been sitting on her little side table and held it up. What was written on it surprised Ino and Sakura. It was as if she had guessed what was going to happen.

I'M FINE. DON'T FREAK, AND DON'T CRY. OMG, SAKURA, DON'T CRY. I WILL HURT YOU IF YOU DO.


	12. Mistakes

Tenten sighed. She opened the school door and waved for Sakura and Ino to come and join her. Hayate smiled and helped her in. He was probably the only person in the school other than Tsunade, Sakura and Ino who knew where she had been for the past 4 days.

"Miss Tenten." Hayate said, smiling. "You have a special room waiting for you. Your room is quarantined off until they get all the spidery-ness out of it."

Tenten smiled. "What about Sakura and Ino?"

"They'll be with you in the room, but I warn you, the outfits that they are going to make you wear are hideous….if I do say so myself."

"Hayate-san, you make me laugh." She knew what he was talking about, these specially made close that were completely cleansed of 'spidery-ness.'

Sakura and Ino nodded.

Tenten was still wearing her pajamas. A t-shirt and blue plaid pajama pants. Sakura and Ino were wearing clothes, they had had a chance to get some on their 2nd day at the hospital.

Tenten saw Neji pass by. She waved, he glared at her, and then waved his hand at her, as if he were throwing her away and walked on. Tenten looked after him.

"C'mon Tenten." Ino said. "Let's go find something to do."

Tenten nodded.

They went to the icecream shop. And worked for a couple of hours then went to their new room.

"Everything's white." Tenten said.

* * *

"You got that right." Ino replied.

* * *

Sakura pulled her white clothes on. "For the sake of living Tenten. For the sake of living."

* * *

"Neji?" 

Neji turned, he recognized that voice. It was a voice he had grown to hate.

Tenten was looking at him. Her hands behind her back.

He glared at her.

"Neji are you-" She began, but was cut off.

"Don't even try." He hissed. "You were right, Temari WAS right. You should have stayed invisible." He walked off.

Tenten was left behind. Staring after him. He hadn't talked to her for the full 2 days she had spent at the school since she had returned. She could feel something in her crack. Tears came to her eyes.

"Neji?" She called again. Her voice wavering.

He didn't respond, he disappeared.

_You should have stayed invisible._

She could feel the words run through her like being hit like a bucket of ice cold water. Neji wasn't the kind of person to say that? Was he? She laughed bitterly. She knew that he of all people was right. A tear fell.

"I belong in the shadows." She whispered harshly as she ran off.

Tenten was wearing her hat, and her dark green hoodie. Her hair was all covered up, she wore those dark green pants again. Her fist clenched, she walked down the hall, to her locker, to class. She sat down.

Sakura watched her disappear. She bit her lip. Whatever Neji had done. Had hit her hard. Old Tenten was back. The one that strived to be invisible. She could feel herself blame everything around her. Tenten had changed.

Tenten sat down, quietly. She stared at her desk.

"Tenten?" Mrs. Shizutsune asked. "Welcome back."

Tenten nodded and continued looking down. That spotlight that she had always hated zoomed onto her again. She wanted to throw it off.

Mrs. Shizutsune raised her eyebrows, "Where were you?"

Tenten sank down lower in her seat. "Nowhere that you would like to go." She said, not wanting to give a visit to the hospital away.

Mrs. Shizutsune, "Back to invisibility eh?" She muttered under her breath. She turned and began working problems on the board.

Tenten sat there uncomfortably. She could feel someone watching her, she turned, only to be met with Neji's glare.

"I'm supposed to be invisible remember?" She mouthed harshly.

He continued to glare at her. She turned, trying to ignore it.

"Class dismissed." Mrs. Shizutsune said. "Tenten, I would like to talk to you."

Everyone left, including Neji, who left her with an awful memory of his eyes full of hatred staring at her.

She walked up to the teacher's desk.

"What is wrong? You were wonderful for two days, and then you disappear with your room-mates for 3 or 4 and you return as your old self? What happened?"

"Nothing happened." Tenten muttered. "Tsunade wants to keep it confidential."

Mrs. Shizutsune raised her eyebrows.

"I'm going to be late for my next class." Tenten growled.

Mrs. Shizutsune nodded. "Go." She said.

Tenten opened the door and walked to her locker. The hall was completely empty. She opened her locker and threw her books in. Hiding a few tears. Then she took a deep breath, closed her locker and continued, she was about to take a corner when a voice startled her.

"Happy?"

She jumped as Neji stepped out in front of her, she stumbled backwards, but remained on her feet, she backed up.

"I thought we had something. You helped me, I help you, and I get back a bunch of lies?" He said harshly.

Tenten shook her head. "I don't know-"

"Hll you don't!" He nearly yelled.

Tenten felt herself being shoved up against a locker, his hand around her throat.

"N-neji…." She choked out. His grip tightened. She couldn't breathe, she could feel her face changing color.

She could feel blood rise up in her mouth. She tried to hold it back.

"Why?" He asked.

"N-neji!" She pleaded, gasping for breath. "I-I don't know w-"

"Don't lie!" He nearly yelled. He let go of her and she slid down onto the ground, coughing and sputtering, red trickling down the side of her mouth.

"What does it matter." He whispered loudly. "You've lied enough anyway." He walked off.

Tenten lay there. Breathing hard. She curled up, letting tears fall. What had she done? What had she done? How did she lie?

She could hear footsteps.

"Oh my gosh! Tenten are you alright?!"

Tenten recognized Sakura's voice. She nodded.

"Can you breath?"

"A little."

"Did you get bit again? What happened?!"

Tenten sat up and tried to smile at her friend. "N-neji choked me."

"he WHAT?!" Sakura screeched. "You hang on! Are you alright?! Will you let me go kill him?!"

"Go do whatever you like, I'm fine." Tenten said, holding her stomach, she felt like she was going to barf.

Sakura ran off.

Tenten continued to cry on her way to the library. She could feel all of her dreams shatter. She worked hard to restore herself. For what? To be torn back down again.

"I should have never tried to be visible!" She said. "This never would have happened!"

* * *

"What the fcking, fck, fck was that?!" Sakura yelled after she found Neji. 

Neji turned. "What was what?" He said coolly.

"You know that the fck I'm talking about!" Sakura said, grabbing him around the collar. "What did you say to her? What did you do?"

He stared at her. "I don't know-"

"Don't play that or I will hurt you boy!"

"What do you know?"

"All I know is that she spent three FREAKING days in the ICU, she comes back, she's fine for two days, she talks to you, she's miserable, she goes back to being invisible, then I see her coughing up BLOOD in a deserted hallway and saying that you CHOKED her. What the FCK is WRONG WITH YOU???!!!"

"The I-" Neji's eyes began to swim with shock.

"The ICU!!! Someone put a spider in our room, she's freaking allergic to spider bites, it bit her, she nearly died in the hospital and how do you welcome her back?! Choking?!"

Neji stepped back. "Temari!" He whispered under his breath. "W-where is she?" He asked, he was filled with remorse. Temari had lied, and he had forced Tenten back to her old ways, now she would never come back.


	13. WAS and WASN'T

Neji broke out into a run. Sakura had said she didn't know where Tenten was. He HAD to find her. He knew that his friendship with her counted on it. He knew.

He checked the hallway, all he found was a few drops of blood on the floor.

"Where is she?" He asked. He turned in circles. Suddenly, he got that feeling again. He looked up and sighed. He knew where Tenten was.

* * *

Tenten still couldn't breathe. She was pale, she was hugging her knees again.

* * *

Neji nearly flew up the ladder. He hoped she would be where he thought she was.

* * *

"Tenten?"

Tenten looked up. She could see Neji staring at her. She was in the little hole in the wall above the auditorium.

"Go away." She said.

"No Tenten, I'm not." He said, once again, he slid in next to her.

She was crying.

His hand touched her forehead. "Can you breathe?" He asked.

"Barely." She said in a hoarse voice.

"Oh my gosh Tenten I'm sorry." Neji said. "Temari told me-you were visiting a boyfriend of yours in your old town…and I got so angry, because well I-" He trailed off.

Tenten turned and looked at him.

"You were in the hospital?" Neji asked.

Tenten nodded. "Spider-bite."

"Tenten, I didn't mean what I said about you and being invisible. You should never go back to that way. Oh God, I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to keep apologizing."

"Why? It's all my fault, I broke your heart and I CHOKED you, why should I not be saying sorry?" Neji said.

"It's my fault too."

"How?"

Tenten looked up, "Okay, so I can't answer that yet, but I will. I will find a way to blame it on myself." She said, partially jokingly.

"Don't do that."

"Then why should you either? You were misled."

Neji looked at Tenten. She was smiling at him. He brushed a stray hair from her face. "I hate that hat." He said.

She smiled wider. "Then maybe I should hate you."

"Don't hate me." Neji said.

"Why not?"

"Because I-" He bit his lip. "Love you Tenten."

Tenten felt a tear come to her eye. "Then I won't hate you Neji."

He pulled her close to him and kissed her so surely and defiantly that even the cold air seemed to light up with warmth. Then she rested her head on his shoulder and they sat there for a while. She finally looked up and smiled at him, "Want to have some icecream?"

He nodded. "Sounds awesome."

* * *

Tenten slid behind the counter along with Ino and Sakura. "I'll make." Tenten said. Her hair was up in buns and she was wearing and orange striped shirt with a green one underneath. She wore camo capris pants.

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "I thought you hated the front lines."

"I have someone special coming."

Sakura smiled, "I get to work the machines then." She disappeared behind the door. Wanting to give her friend a chance.

Tenten smiled over the counter, never had the Student Shopping Center been so full. It must have had everyone in the school in it. She could see Temari in the distance. She was coming her way.

Tenten hurriedly fixed something up and hid it behind her back.

Temari arrived she smiled weakly at everyone.

"Yes?" Tenten asked.

Neji and the guys came up. He shot Temari a deadly look.

"Um.." Temari began.

"I have a few words to say to you." Neji asked.

Temari's face flushed with guilt.

"No Neji." Tenten said.

Everyone turned and looked at her.

"Let her speak." Tenten said softly.

"Um…" Temari said again. "I'm sorry for putting the spider in your room, I didn't know you could get nearly killed, and I'm sorry for lying to Neji to turn him against you." She sighed, as if all her dignity had been washed away.

Tenten could tell that no one had told her to say that apology.

"And um…I didn't mean what I said about you disappearing, well I meant it when I said it, but now-" She was cut off.

"I forgive you Temari." Tenten said. She took a waffle cone with two scoops of chocolate in it from behind her back and held it out. "Here you go."

Temari stared at in shock.

"Don't worry." Tenten giggled. "I didn't poison it."

Temari reached for her wallet.

"No Temari." Tenten said.

"But-"

"This one's on the house."

Temari looked at it with shock before taking it. "Thank you." She said.

"No need." Tenten said. "You taught me how to stand up for myself, now go enjoy that." She smiled at Temari.

Temari smiled weakly back and then walked off.

"Kind much?" Neji asked.

"Don't get any ideas." Tenten said smiling. She nodded at Kiba and the others.

Kiba stepped forward. "Do you know if Ino's doing anything?" He asked. "I want to apologize."

"Like now doing anything or like, tonight at seven doing anything?"

"Tonight." Kiba repled.

Tenten nodded and walked over to Ino, whispering in her ear.

Ino shook her head.

Kiba looked down in sadness, but then, Tenten whispered something else and Ino brightened up.

"Tonight." She said.

"When?"

"8?"

"Sounds good to me." Kiba said. He smiled shyly.

"What about Sakura?" Naruto asked.

Tenten looked around.

"NARUTO?!!" Sakura yelled. She ran out from behind her door. "Were you going to ask something?"

Naruto blushed. "Dinner?" He asked.

"Heck yeah!" Sakura said.

Tenten smiled as she dished out the ice cream for the guys, she gave herself a scoop of chocolate in a cake cone.

"Hey guys?" Sakura said.

Tenten looked up after she handed out their orders. They paid, even though she offered an on the house.

"Let's take a break."

Tenten nodded and turned out the lights. She took off her apron an she, Ino and Sakura jumped over the counter. They began walking down the center.

"HEELLLLOOOO!!!" Tenten called.

"I thought you hated being invisible." Neji said, coming up from behind her. She smiled and walked along side him.

""You know, this world seems a lot more awesome when you actually try living in it." She replied.

Sakura and Ino smiled.

Neji smiled, and whispered in her ear. "That's the Tenten, that I was looking for." He flipped her around and picked her up and kissed her again.

He heard the words in his ear, Neji did. He knew that this was it. The moment he was waiting for, as Tenten whispered in his ear,

"I don't LIKE you boy, I love you." He hugged her tighter.

Tenten smiled. When all was at peace. And everything seemed right. She was glad she wasn't invisible. She was glad she had her friends. She was glad she had Neji. And she was glad to have herself. She was Tenten. She was her. And if there anything she WASN'T it was being invisible. If there anything she WAS it was happy.


	14. THE END

THE END

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Thanks for all the reviews. Some of them helped me to change the course of the story so it was better. Thanks. **_


End file.
